Over-dyeing stockings to produce two-color and ombre effects



Aug. 30, 1955 s. BAILEY, JR

OVER-DYEING STOCKINGS TO PRODUCE TWO-COLOR AND OMBRE EFFECTS Filed Nov.

INVENTOR. smnaY BImLEY OR.

fiff rne) United States Patent OVER-DYEING STOCKINGS TO PRODUCETWO-COLOR AND OMBRE EFFECTS Sidney Bailey, Jr.,, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application November 3,1954, Serial No. 466,469

v Claims. (Cl. 8-14) This invention relates generally to womens hosieryand more. particularly to a method of ombr dyeing the same to provide itwith a welt region which is of contrasting color with respect to that ofthe leg and foot portions thereof, this application being acontinuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 337,325,filed February 17, 1953, now abandoned.

More particularly, it is among the principal objects of the presentinvention to. provide an ombr-dyed nylon stocking wherein the welt andthe after-welt region of the stocking is of a color or shade contrastingwith that of the remainder of the stocking and wherein the transitionfrom the contrastingly colored welt portion of the stocking to thenormally colored remaining body portion thereof is practicallyimperceptible.

Stockings of the character above described provide an entirely new andnovel design effect, are of an enhanced ornamental appearance and whenproduced with welts of diiferenttints enable the wearer to select foruse hosiery the tops ofwhich are colored to match or to complement thecolor ofv the wearers undergarments.

Other objects and advantages of' the invention will appear more fullyhereinafter, it being understood that the present invention consistssubstantially in the construction of hosiery and the method of producingthe same, all as hereinafter described, as shown in the accompanyingdrawings and as finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a stocking ombrdyed in.accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a group of stockings. supportedfor suspension in the dyeing bath; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a plurality of suspended groupsof stockings inposition to be immersed in a dye tank.

It will be understood that the present invention is especiallyapplicable to nylon hosiery, either full-fashioned or seamless, thedyeing of the stockings to obtain the ombr effect of the presentinvention being effected subsequent to the usual pre-setting operation.

The upper contrastingly colored welt region of the stocking may be dyedin practically any desired color which has a wide range of pleasingtints and shades, the preferred colors being those which provide pastelshades, such as blue, red and yellow and which'may be combined, ifdesired, to produce adye of suitable blending color for the body portionof the stocking extending below the after-welt and including the foot,such as tan. Of course, any suitable dye bath may be prepared for dyeingthe body portion to any desired color or shade.

The basic coloring dyes are thus of the normal pastel colors such as areconventionally used to dye nylon hosiery, which dyes may be of theacetate group, such as Acetamine Scarlet B, manufactured by E. I. duPont de Nemours, Wilmington, Delaware; Celliton Fast Blue FFR,manufactured by General Dye Stufi Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;and Amacyl Yellow G, manufac- "ice 2 tured by American Aniline DyestufiCo., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; or they may be of the acid group, suchas Nydye Red 3B, Nydye Blue or Nydye Yellow S, all manufactured byAlthouse Chemical, Co., Reading, Pennsyl- Vania.

To obtain the ombre-dyed hosiery of the present invention, the nylonstockings in the greige, after they have'been suitably pre-set, areconventionally bagged for dyeing and then dyed in accordance withconventional dyeing procedure indye baths containing dye solution ofwhatever pastel color is desired for the welt portion of the stocking.Thus, different groups of the stockings in the greige are initially dyedto respectively different pastel colors of any desired tint, thisinitial dyeing of any one group of stockings to a particular pastelcolor throughout being effected through conventional dyeing procedure,which normally involves immersion of the stockings in the particulardyebath for a predeterminedly selected color for a period-ofapproximately thirty minutes at a dye bath temperature ranging from F.to F.

In accordance with conventional dying procedure, from 2 to 8 ounces of asuitable dyestuff, e. g., any of the acetate or acid group dyeshereinbefore mentioned, may be dissolved in from 1600 to 2000 pounds ofwater for each 100 pounds of hosiery to be dyed, theamount of dyestuffdissolved in the water being varied as desired to produce the desiredshade of color. The bagged hosiery is entered and held in this aqueousdye bath for a period of approximately 30 minutes at a bath temperatureof about 170 F.,,

whereupon the hosiery is sampled for proper color and, if necessary, theratio of dyestufi to water changed to provide a dye bath for initialdyeing ofthe hosiery to the desired pastel shade.

Upon completion of this initial dyeing of. thehosiery,

4 the hosiery is removed from the dye bath, the excess dye and moistureare extracted therefrom, and thereafter theinitially dyed hosiery arepermitted to dry to final shape, preferably while the same are fitted onforms.

The basically dyed hosiery, after they have been dried, are thenassembled in lots of multiple pairs, e. g., one dozen pairs, andsuspended by their top ends from between clamp type hangers like thosedesignated 11 in Figure 2, these hangers being each suitably providedwith a supporting hook 1-2 for engagement with a suitableoverhead-supported rack 13. Preferably, this rack 13 is supported by acable 14- Which is operable to raise and lower therack into a-nd'out ofa tank 15 containing the final dye solution 16. several lots A of thepaired hosiery suspended from the rack 13 are each basically dyed to aparticular pastel color, which color, however, for any one lot may bedifferent from those of the remaining lots suspended from the rack 13.

The final dyeing solution just referred to is prepared of any suitabledye compatible with the dye employed in the basic dyeing of thestockings to an overall pastel color and preferably consists of a blendof the red, blue and yellow basic dyes to produce a dye solution of tancolor. Of course, the final dye solution may be of any desired coloraffording suitable contrast with the basic color, the only desideratumbeing that the final dye bath color be such as will completelyobliterate the original basic color to which the hosiery may have beendyed.

As in the case of the pastel colored dye bath, the final dye bathsolution is prepared by dissolving as much of the dyestulf of therequisite color in water as is necessary to produce a final dye colorwhich is darker than and which will accordingly obliterate the initialpastel hue of the hosiery, fromv 1600 to 2000 pounds of dye solutionbeing employed for each- 100' pounds of hosiery to be.

finally dyed. For this final bath the amount of dyestuffi'n the aqueoussolution thereof may range from 0.5 to 3 or It will be understood, ofcourse, that the more pounds, the relative proportion of the dyestuffemployed being dependent upon the density which is desired for thesecondarily applied dye color. Thus, where the covering dye for theinitially applied pastel tint is to be tan, a satisfactory solution maybe prepared by dissolving about 0.5 pound each of the red, blue andyellow basic dyes in from 1600 to 2000 pounds of water for each 106pounds of hosiery to be over-dyed in tan color. Of course, theproportions of the primary color dyes may be varied to obtain anydesired color of over-dye and in fact any prepared dye-stuff suitablefor overdyeing the hosiery may be employed, as, for example, AcetamineDark Brown SS and Acetamine Black CBS, both manufactured by E. I. duPont de Nemours, Wilmington, Delaware, or Fast Brown 3R, of which from 1to as much as 8 pounds may be dissolved in from 1600 to 2000 pounds ofwater to prepare a suit able dye bath for 100 pounds of hosiery.

Preferably, the final dye solution may include any suitable agent, inthe proportion of 1 to 3 pounds thereof for each 100 pounds of hosieryto be dyed, for reducing the surface tension of the liquid as well asfor insuring migration of the dye through the stocking fabric bycapillary action, such agents being, for example, dibutyl phthalate,diglycol stearate, octyl alcohol and alkyiaryl polyether alcohol.

Thesecondary dye bath is also maintained at a tem perature of about 170F. as the hosiery is dipped therein to overdye the initially appliedpastel hue, from which it will appear that except for differences incolor, the primary and secondary dye baths are quite similar andcompatible with one another, it being important to note in thisconnection that nylon, in particular, possesses affinity for all classesof dyes so that in the case of nylon hosiery there are no untowardproblems involved in ombre dyeing the same in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention.

To achieve the desired ombre-dyed effect as hereinbefore described, therack-supported hosiery, as shown in Figure 3, each lot A of which hasbeen basically dyed to a primary pastel color, is lowered foot-firstinto the dye solution contained in the tank 15. This lowering iseffected at a controlled speed and is interrupted when the stockings aresubmerged to a point at which the surface level of the dye liquidreaches to about four inches below the after-welts of the suspendedstockings. The stockings are then raised out of the solution at the samecontrolled speed of vertical movement thereof, the lowering and raisingcycle preferably being repeated two to live times within a period ofapproximately fifteen minutes while the temperature of the dye bath ismaintained at from 150 F. to 170 F. It will be found that by thisprocedure, the dye liquid will migrate by capillary action upwardly intothe stockings for a distance of two inches more or less above thesurface level of the dye bath, with-\ out leaving any perceptible lineof demarkation between the primary pastel colored welt portion of thestocking and the secondarily dyed remaining portion thereof. In somecases, it may be desired to lower the stockings into the final dye bathto an extent sutncient to effect migration of the final color dye intothe welt proper, in other cases into the after-welt and in still othercases into only the upper leg portion of the stocking just below theafterwelt. However, in all cases, the lowering of the stockings into thefinal dye bath is interrupted at a point to insure that the final dyecolor does not completely obliterate the basic pastel color of thatupper part of the stocking which is to be of the selected pastel tint.

If desired, the ombr-dyed portions of the stocking below their pastelcolored welts may be further immersed in and withdrawn from the finalsolution several times, each such further immersion being of aprogressively de creased length of the stocking and for a periodsomewhat longer than that of the initial immersion, the total elapsedtime for the further immersions just referred to being preferably notmore than thirty minutes. These subsequent immersions insure ombr dyeingof the stocking to the color of the final dye bath, and provide thestocking from the pastel colored top portion to and through the footportion 16 thereof, with a color of a density which ircreases downwardlytoward the toe and which is in contrast with that of the pastel coloredwelt portion of the stocking. While this subsequent clipping of thestock ng to progressively decreasing depths into the dye bath s apreferred procedure, it is not essential and the stocking may in certaincases be satisfactorily dyed by repeated lowerin thereof to apredeterminedly fixed depth into the dye solution.

The following is set forth as a specific example of the procedure to befollowed in producing stockings of nylon, cf the polyheptamcthyleneadiparnide type, having top or welt portions of pastel blue color andleg portions of a tan color which imperceptibly blends into the bluecolor of the welt: pounds of the stockings, after having been pre-set inthe greige and then bagged, are then dyed in their entirety in a dyebath containing 2 ounces of the aforementioned Celliton Fast Blue FFR(identified in The Chemistry of Synthetic Dyes by K. Venkataraman, vol.2, p. 809; Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1952) dissolved in 1600pounds of water, the stockings being held in this bath for about 30minutes at a bath temperature of 170 F. The stockings so preliminarilydyed are now freed of excess dye solution and then fitted on forms uponwhich they are permitted to dry to final shape.

Thereafter, the stockings, while on said forms, are over-dyed ashereinbefore described, for a period of 15 minutes, by the aforesaidcontrolled lowering and raising thereof into and out of a final dye bathcontaining 2 pounds of the aforementioned Fast Brown 3R (identifled inthe aforementioned edition of The Chemistry of Synthetic Dyes at vol. 1,p. 641) dissolved in 1600 pounds of water, the temperature of this finalbath being maintained at F. until the ombr dyeing of the stockingstherein has been fully completed. As a modification of the foregoingspecific example, the final dye bath may contain 2 pounds of dibutylphthalate as a wetting agent, for reducing the surface tension of thedye liquid and for facilitating migration of the dye through the hosieryfabric by capillary action. However, the use of such wetting agent isnot essential for capillary migration of the dye and so it may beomitted where fast capillary action is not required. Upon completion ofthe final dyeing operation in accordance with either of the abovemodifications, the original pastel blue color of the stocking from itsbottom up to just below its welt will have been so over-dyed by thetancolored dye that although the welt portion thereof retains itsoriginal pastel blue color, no perceptible line of demarkation appearsbetween the blue-colored welt and the tan-colored remaining portion ofthe stocking.

As has been indicated hereinbefore, the upper welt portion of thestocking, which may or may not include the after-welt and a portion ofthe stocking leg just below the after-welt, is basically dyed to anydesired pastel color or shade of uniform intensity which affords apleasing contrast with the dye secondarily applied to the remaining partof the stocking. Of course, this secondarily applied dye may also be ofany desired color or shade, although it must be of sufficient density tocompletely obliterate the basic dye in the regions of the stockingwherein the basic pastel color is not desired to show. By the dyeingprocedure described, the secondarily applied dye so blends with theprimary pastel colored dye in the region below the welt that thetransition from one color to the other is imperceptible. And, ifdesired, the secondarily applied dye may itself be so applied to thestocking, as hereinabove described, to provide a graduated density ofthe color extending downwardly from the pastel colored welt portion ofthe stocking to the foot portion thereof with the color of deepest huein the region of the stocking foot.

It will be understood that the present invention is susceptible ofvarious changes and modifications which may be made from time to timewithout departing from the general principles or real spirit thereof,and it is accordingly intended to claim the same broadly, as well asspecifically, as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A method of ombr dyeing stockings knitted principally of nylon toprovide a distinctive color for one end portion of the stocking which iscontrastingly different from that of the remaining portion of thestocking and which colors coalesce in a zone of transition byimperceptible change of one color to the other, which comprisesinitially dyeing the stocking in its entirety in a liquid dye bath tothe distinctive color desired for said end portion thereof, in thendrying the stocking, and in thereafter over-dyeing said remainingportion of the stocking by first immersing said remaining portion of thestocking in a liquid over-dye bath and then withdrawing the stockingtherefrom, said over-dye bath being compatible with said first-mentioneddye bath and providing a dye color which is contrastingly different fromand has the capacity of completely obliterating said distinctive colorof the portion of the stocking which is immersed in said over-dye bath,and controlling the rate of immersion and rate of withdrawal of saidremaining portion of the stocking in said over-dye bath, so as toprovide for migration by capillary action of the over-dye through thestocking upwardly beyond the level of said over-dye bath into said zoneof transition immediately adjoining said distinctively colored endportion of the stocking.

2. A method of ombr dyeing stockings principally knitted of nylon yarnto provide a distinctive color for the welt of the stocking which iscontrastingly difierent from that of the remaining portion of thestocking and which colors coalesce in a transition zone adjoining thewelt by imperceptible change of one color to the other, which comprisebasically dyeing the stocking in its entirety in an aqueous dye solutionof the distinctive color desired for the welt, in then permitting it todry, and in thereafter over-dyeing the portion of the stocking below thewelt thereof by immersing and withdrawing it foot-first in a secondaqueous dye solution of a color which is contrastingly different fromand has the capacity of completely obliterating the basically appliedcolor of the stocking, said foot-first immersion of the stocking in saidsecond over-dyeing solution being for such limited depth of the stockingas to constantly maintain the welt portion thereof spaced above thesurface level of the over-dyeing solution, and controlling the rate ofimmersion and rate of withdrawal of said portion of the stocking, so asto provide for migration by capillary action of the over-dye upwardlyinto said color transition zone located between said surface level ofthe over-dye solution and the distinctively colored welt of thestocking.

3. A method of ombr dyeing stockings principally knitted of nylon yarnto provide a distinctive color for the welt of the stocking which iscontrastingly different from that of the remaining portion of thestocking and which colors coalesce in a transition zone adjoining thewelt by imperceptible change of one color to the other, which comprisesbasically dyeing the stocking in its entirety in an aqueous dye solutionof the distinctive color desired for the welt, in then fitting thebasically dyed stocking upon a rigid form and permitting it to drythereon, and in thereafter over-dyeing the portion of the stocking belowthe welt thereof while on said form by lowering it foot-first in asecond aqueous dye solution of a color which is contrastingly diiferentfrom and has the capacity of completely obliterating the basicallyapplied color of the stocking and then withdrawing the same from saidsolution, said lowering of the stocking into the over-dye solution beingto such extent as to maintain the basically dyed welt thereof spacedabove the surface level of the over-dye solution, and controlling therate of lowering and withdrawing of said portion of the stocking intoand out of said over-dyeing solution, so as to thereby provide formigration upwardly by capillary action of the over-dye into said colortransition zone located between said surface level of the over-dyesolution and the distinctively colored welt of the stocking.

4. In a method as defined in claim 3 wherein said lowering andwithdrawing of the stocking into and out of said over-dyeing solution isrepeated a plural number of times.

5. In a method as defined in claim 3 wherein said lowering andwithdrawing of the stocking into and out of said over-dyeing solution isrepeated a plural number of times and wherein the extent to which thestocking is successively lowered into the over-dye solution is decreasedfor each succeeding lowering.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,202,652 Bentley Oct. 24, 1916 1,817,053 Zerk Aug.4, 1931 1,852,138Zerk Apr. 5, 1932 1,943,408 Zerk Ian. 16, 1934 1,959,753 Zerk May 22,1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 153,079 Australia Sept. 2, 1953

1. A METHOD OF OMBRE DYEING STOCKINGS KNITTED PRINCIPALLY OF NYLON TOPROVIDE A DISTINCTIVE COLOR FOR ONE END PORTION OF THE STOCKING WHICH ISCONTRASTINGLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE REMAINING PORTION OF THESTOCKING AND WHICH COLORS COALESCE IN A ZONE OF TRANSITION BYIMPERCEPTIBLE CHANGE OF ONE COLOR TO THE OTHER, WHICH COMPRISESINITIALLY DYEING THE STOCKING IN ITS ENTIRELY IN A DYE BATH TO THEDISTINCTIVE COLOR DESIRED FOR SAID END PORTION THEREOF, IN THEN DRYINGTHE STOCKING AND IN THEREAFTER OVER-DYEING SAID REMAINING, PORTION OFTHE STOCKING BY FIRST IMMERSING SAID REMAINING PORTION OF THE STOCKINGIN A LIQUID OVER-DYE BATH AND THEN WITHDRAWING THE STOCKING THEREFROM,SAID OVER-DYE BATH BEING COMPATIBLE WITH SAID FIRST-MENTIONED DYE BATHAND PROVIDING A DYE COLOR WHICH IS CONTRASTINGLY DIFFERENT FROM AND HASTHE CAPACITY OF COMPLETELY OBLITERATING SAID DISTINCTIVE COLOR OF THEPORTION OF THE STOCKING WHICH IS IMMERSED IN SAID OVER-DYE BATH, ANDCONTROLLING THE RATE OF IMMERSION AND RATE OF WITHDRAWAL OF SAIDREMAINING PORTION OF THE STOCKING IN SAID OVER-DYE BATH, SO AS TOPROVIDE FOR MIGRATION BY CAPILLARY ACTION OF THE OVER-DYE THROUGH THESTOCKING UPWARDLY BEYOND THE LEVEL OF SAID OVER-DYE BATH INTO SAID ZONEOF TRANSITION IMMEDIATELY ADJOINING SAID DISTINCTIVELY COLORED ENDPORTION OF THE STOCKING.